Occult Rituals

It’s a common belief that only those initiated in the rites and practices of arcane, divine, or psychic magic can cast spells, but this is not strictly true. Hidden within dusty libraries and amid the ramblings of lunatics lie the mysteries of another form of spellcasting—occult ritual magic. These spells are rare, coveted by both those eager to gain their power and those wishing to hide their existence. Most traditional spellcasters consider these rituals dangerous and uncontrollable, something to be avoided or used as a last resort. They fear the power these ceremonies grant to the uninitiated, as the rituals allow those with only a glimmering of understanding the ability to interact with the underlying fabric of magic.

While anyone can attempt to cast occult rituals, the process is fraught with peril. The strange and intricate incantations are often challenging to perform with precision, and failure can weaken the casters or even unleash horrors upon the world. Even when successfully performed, each occult ritual has a price—a backlash that affects at least the caster leading the ritual, and often those assisting in its performance.Click here for the full rules on Occult Rituals.

Effect

Numerous variants of this ritual exist, though the intent is always the same: to lull the rage within a gigantic, rampaging threat. The target is usually a unique creature with a specific Perform check is required to affect it. For example, returning King Mogaru to dormancy requires a successful Perform (sing) check as part of this ritual. Other creatures’ requirements are left to the GM’s discretion.

The successful completion of this extensive ritual forces the target, which must be a Colossal creature with at least 20 HD, to attempt a Will save. On a failed save, the affected creature stops its current actions and retreats away from civilization for a period of no less than 1 year. Should the target succeed at this save, the ritual fails and its failure effect occurs immediately. Creatures with the kaiju subtype cannot use their recovery ability to attempt a new saving throw against this ritual’s effect. If a creature affected by this ritual is attacked and damaged, the effects of return to dormancy immediately end and the ritual’s failure effect takes place.